Brussels Airport Hit By Four-Hour Queues As EU Border System Strains Passport Control
Passengers at Brussels Airport (BRU) faced long delays on Monday as new European border procedures again strained passport control.
Non-EU passengers arriving at BRU waited up to four hours at passport control. Departing passengers faced queues of up to one hour.
The delays were linked to the European Union’s Entry/Exit System, known as EES. The system records border crossings by non-EU travelers entering or leaving the Schengen Area.
EU passengers were largely unaffected. According to airport officials, they faced much shorter waits of around 10 to 15 minutes.
Non-EU Travelers Faced The Longest Delays
The main pressure point was passport control for non-EU passengers.
At arrivals, some travelers waited as long as four hours. At departures, queues reached about one hour.
That matters at an airport like BRU. Brussels is not only Belgium’s main international gateway. It is also a hub for business travel, EU institutions, long-haul arrivals, and connecting passengers.
Long passport-control waits can quickly affect the wider operation. They can delay passengers, disrupt connections, and increase pressure on airline and airport staff.
What The EES Changes
The European Commission says the EES replaces traditional passport stamps with digital records.
The system applies to non-EU nationals travelling to Schengen countries for short stays. It records passport details, entry and exit dates, and biometric information such as facial images and fingerprints.
The goal is to improve border security. It also helps authorities identify overstays and detect document or identity fraud.
However, the rollout has created problems at several European airports. BRU has been one of the most visible examples.
Brussels Airport Had Warned About This
Brussels Airport warned earlier this year that the new system was already creating serious delays.
In March, the airport said non-European passengers had faced waits of up to two hours on departure and more than three hours on arrival. Nearly 600 passengers missed flights over a four-day period.
Belgium then postponed the collection of biometric data to reduce pressure. But the wider EES process remained in place.
That is the key issue. Even without full biometric registration, checks still take longer than before.
Why The Queues Build So Quickly
Border control is a narrow part of the airport journey.
When processing time rises for each passenger, the queue can grow fast. This is especially true when several long-haul flights arrive close together.
BRU also said some non-EU passengers can no longer use automated e-gates in the same way as before. That pushes more travelers toward staffed border-control booths.
This is a major operational problem.
An airport can add check-in desks and open more security lanes. Border control is different. It depends on government staffing, border systems, and police procedures.
At BRU, the Federal Police are responsible for border control. The airport can provide infrastructure and passenger guidance, but it does not control the border process itself.
The Airport Has Added Infrastructure
BRU has prepared for the new system.
The airport previously said it planned 12 new border-control boxes, 33 cameras at border-control booths, 61 self-service registration kiosks, and 36 new e-gates.
That is a major investment.
Still, infrastructure alone does not solve the problem. The system also needs enough trained officers, reliable technology, and flexible rules during peak travel periods.
Brussels Airport has called for more flexibility in the rollout. It has also asked for certain non-EU passengers to regain access to e-gates as soon as possible.
EU Passengers Saw A Different Experience
The delays were not equal for all travelers.
EU passengers at BRU saw far shorter waits. Many could continue using automated e-gates with biometric passports or Belgian electronic ID cards.
That split is important.
For EU travelers, the border process remains mostly familiar. For non-EU travelers, the EES adds more steps and longer checks.
This is why queues can look very uneven inside the same terminal. One line may move normally while another barely moves.
Summer Travel Could Make The Problem Worse
The timing is difficult.
BRU is entering the busy summer travel season. The airport handled 24.4 million passengers in 2025 and offers direct connections to more than 200 destinations in 2026.
Higher traffic means less room for error.
If passport-control staffing or system speed does not improve, long queues could become a recurring problem. This is especially likely during morning arrival banks and peak long-haul periods.
Airlines may also feel the impact. Departing passengers stuck at border control can miss flights. Arriving passengers can miss onward connections.
That creates extra work for airlines, handlers, and airport staff.
What Passengers Should Do
Passengers flying through BRU should plan extra time if they are leaving the Schengen Area or arriving from a non-Schengen country.
This is especially important for non-EU passport holders.
Travelers should also check whether they need EES registration before departure. Brussels Airport provides border-control guidance on its official passenger information page.
For connecting passengers, the safest approach is to avoid tight connections when passport control is involved.
A one-hour connection may look possible on paper. In the current environment, it may not be enough for some non-EU travelers.
Bottom Line
Brussels Airport (BRU) faced another serious passport-control bottleneck on Monday, with some non-EU arrivals waiting up to four hours.
The delays are linked to the EU’s Entry/Exit System, which has changed how non-EU short-stay travelers are processed at Schengen borders.
The system is designed to improve security and replace passport stamps with digital records. But at BRU, it is also adding time to each border check.
Brussels Airport has invested in new infrastructure and has called for more flexibility. Even so, staffing, e-gate access, and processing speed remain major concerns.
For airlines and passengers, the message is clear. Until the system stabilizes, non-EU travelers using BRU should allow more time for passport control, especially during peak summer travel.
